Platform or scaffold



(No Model.)

A. MURPHY & G. WEINMAN.

PLATFORM 0R SGAFFOLD.

No. 347,055. Patenteug 10, 18.86.

- mu 0 A UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW MURPHY AND CHRISTIAN WEINMAN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

PLATFORM OR SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,055, dated August 10, 1886.

Application filed April 24, 1886.

7 To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW MURPHY an d CHRISTIAN WEINMAN, of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platforms or Scaffolds; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification;

Our invention relates to an improvement in platforms which are to be'used in connection with windows; and it consists in the combination of the horizontal beams which are attached to the inside of the window-stool at their inner ends, suitable supports for bearing upon the window-sill, and the hinged guard, which is applied to the outer end of the platform, and is provided with adjustable braces, as will be more fully described hereinafter. V

The object of our invention is to provide a platform which can be attached to a window stool and sill, so as to extend outside of the building for the use of persons washing the windows or painting the outside of the house to stand upon,and which is adapted to be folded into a very small compass when no longer needed.

Figure l is a side elevation of a scaffold embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 shows a modification of the devices employedin securing the scaffold in position. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the toothed loop. a

A represents two parallel beams or rods, of suitable length, and which are intended to extend horizontally out through the window, and which are provided at their inner ends with thehooks B,which are to catch under the window-stool and thus assist in supporting the scaffold in position. These hooks are here shown as stationary; but they may be slotted and made adjustable, so as to be adapted to different window-stools; also secured to the beams A, at a suitable distance from the hooks B, are the slotted adjustable supports G,which extend vertically downward from the side of the beams, so as to bear upon the top of the window-sill, and thus prevent any inclination on the part of the scaffold to sink downward Serial No. 200,060. (No model.)

at its outer end when the weight of a person is brought to bear upon it; also, secured to the outer side of each one of the beams A, is a loop or guide, D,which is provided on its inner side with a tooth, E,and through the outer side of which loop or guidepasses the set-screw F. Through this loop or guide is passed the curved rod or plate G, which has a series of teeth formed upon itsinner side in order to engage with the tooth on the guide or loop and thus hold the plate or rod in any desired position. The lower end of this plate or rod has ashoulder, I, formed upon it, and which shoulder catches over the outside of the top edge of the window-sill, as shown. After the platform has been passed through the window this curved plate or rod is adjusted into that position which will help support the platform in a horizontal position, and then the set-screw is tightened, so as to cause the teeth on the innerside of the plate or rod to engage with the tooth on the inner side of the guide or loop, and thus hold the rod or plate rigidly in position. lVhile thus held the platform cannot have any downward movement upon the loop, and hence the scaffold can 'never give downward at its outer end on account of theweight which is brought to bear upon it.

In case it is not desired to use the set-screw and teeth, a series of holes are made through the rod or curved plate and then a pin may be passed through the guide or loop and the curved plate or rod, so as to prevent any downward movement on the part of the scaffold upon the rod or plate.

Secured to the top of the two beams A are two or more boards, J of suitable width, upon which the person washing the window or paint- 9o ing the house stands. The inner one of these boards is hinged-to the outer one, so that it can be turned backward upon the top of the other board in order to allow the operator to wash or clean the window-sill. Pivoted by 95 means of the L-shaped hinges L, to the outer ends of the beams A, is the vertical guard N, which serves to prevent the operator from falling backward from the scaffold. This guard will be made long enoughto extend about halfroo way up an ordinary window, and upon the top of this guard are placed the two slotted rods or braces 0. These rods or braces are forced horizontally inward at their inner ends, so as 10 the slotted support 0, a set--screw,1t, which passes through a suitable bearing, S, on the under side of the beam, may be used, and the lower end of this screw will bear against the top of the outside portion of the window-sill for the purpose of preventing any downward movement on the part of the scaffold. Instead of the grooved rod or plate, a simple L-shaped brace, T, may be used to catch against the outer side of the window-sill.

\Ve do not limit ourselves to any particular devices forsupporting the scaffold in position outside of the window-frame, for this may be varied in a number of ways.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. The combination of the platform with the hinged guard, which is connected to its outer end, and the slotted pieees,whicl1 are attached to its upper end for the purpose of bearing against the side of the house, substantially as described.

2. In a platform, the combination of the beams, suitable devices at their inner ends for engaging with the bottom of the window-stool, the curved rods or plates provided with shoulders at their lower ends, the toothed guides, and the set-screws, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ANDRE\V MURPHY. CHRISTIAN \VEINMAJ.

W'itnesses:

CHAS. S. CHERINGTON, E. L. DEWITT. 

